Method of making production tests in oil wells



Jan. l, 1929.

G. A. MACREADY METHOD OE MAKING PRODUCTION TEsTs 1N OIL WELLS may;

kil/wf Filed Feb. 6, 1925 Patented Jan. l, 1929.

cui-.012.12m A. mennen, or Los ANGELES, cALIronrln. muon or ninna rnonncrron rnsrsfm'o'wil Application-Bled February 8, 1925. Serial lo. 7,808.1..

` This invention relates to methods for making production tests in oil wells and is especially an improvement over the method disclosed in my prior Patent No'. 1,522,197, issued January 6, 1925. This invention relates to the method employed in using the apparatus disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 655,206, filed August 2, 1923.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved method, whereby a packer may be lowered into a well hole and seated therein by means of a tubular lowering lmeans in such a manner that the tubular lowering means may be reciprocated within the well holey while the packer remains seated and fluid may be dischargedfrom the lowering means into the well hole above the packer, so that freezing or sticking of the lowering means in the well hole, while a sample of well fluid from below the packer is being removed,

is effectively prevented.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a well hole showing the apparatus as being lowered into position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the packer as being seated;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 after the packer has been seated and showing the position of the apparatus while va sample of well fluid is being taken; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters desiU- nate similar parts throughout, the well hole is indicated at 10 of any suitable diameter. At the bottom of the well hole 10 there is formed a continuation of thewell hole, indicated at 1 1, which is of smaller diameter than that portion of the/well hole indicated at 10, so as to provide a seat 12. If the well has been previously drilled below the seat 12, a bridge or lug may be placed in the well hole at the ocation of the desired lseat 12, and a smaller hole may be drilled through the plug or bridge to form the seat. When the seat 12 has been formed in the well hole, a acker 13,may be lowered therein by means o a tubular lowering means indicated at 14.

The packer 13 may be tapered, as clearly shown upon the drawings, and has a' ve or rece 15 formed upon its face adlacent lts upper end. A sealing material, indicated at 16, 1s placed about the packer 13 and may be molded into or bound into the recess 15 so as to maintain it upon the packer. This sealing material is of soft, deformable material, such as soft rubber or. lead, so that it may be left in the well-holewithout obstructing the well so as to prevent further drilling operations. A spindle 17 is formed upon the packer 13 and extends upwardly from its top. Adjacent the upper end of the spindle 1 there is an enlargement 18, within which is formed a seat l19. The enlargement 18 also provides'a shoulder 20 `for a purpose, hereina ter to be described. The tubular lowering means 14 is a pipe of any desired length and adjacent its lower end there is provided an internal shoulder 21, below which is a second internal shoulder 22 which snugly lits about the-spindle 17 The first internal shoulder 21 provides a recess 23 which is capable of receiving the shoulder 20 formed by the enlargement 18. Asv the enlargement18 is a considerable distance above the top of the packer body 13, the tubular lowering pipe 14 may be reciprocated within the well relatively to the packer 13; and in this lmanner the lowering mean's may be reciprocated in the well while the packer is seated.

As clearly shown in Fig. 4, a plurality of channels 24 are formed in the internal shoulder 22 about the spindle 17. When the lowering means 14 is drawn into the uppermost position.l so that the shoulder 20 occupies the recess 23, the channels 24 are effectively closed and sealed. The lowering pipe 14, which carries the packer, may be lowered into the well hole by any suitable elevator or other means, indicated at 25. When the packer 13 encounters the seat 12, the lowering means 14 is forced downwardly so as to engage the topof the packer body and thus mash the sealing material 16, so as to form a tight seal upon t-he seat 12. After the packer 13 has been seated upon its seat 12, the lowering means 14 may be lifted without lifting the packer 13. When in this position, a sampling tube 26 is lowered within the tubular lowering pipe 14 and seats upon the seat-19 provided upon the upper end of the spindle `17 which is on the packer`13. When the samplingpipe 26 is in position, the tubular lowervuc ing pipe 14 may be continually reciprocated ./vl v within the well hole without lifting or loosening the packer 13 from its seat, and a sample ofwell fluid below the packer may be withdrawn either by bailing through the sample tube 26 and through a bore 27 formed in the spindle 17 on the packer 13, or the well fluid below'the packer may be pumped upwardly through the samplin g tube 26 and the bore 27.

lIn some circumstances vertical reciprocation of the tubular lowering means 14 is insufficient to prevent freezing or sticking of the lowering pipe in the well while the sample is being taken. In such cases a packing Gland 28 is mounted about'the sampling turbe at the top of the lowering means 14 which is adapted to compress packing 29 about the sampling tube. Circulation fluid may be forced into the lowering means 14 through a port 30 so that it will flow downwardly within the tubular lowering means 14 about the sampling tube 26 and discharged into the well hole through the channels 24 above the packer. The discharge of fluid from the lowering means through the channels 24 in no way interferes with the reciprocation of the lowering pipe 14, and the reciprocation and discharge of circulation fluid may be cairied on simultaneously. Because of the fact that the spindle 17 is round, the tubular lowering pipe can be rotated as well as reciprocated either while circulation fluid is being discharged into the well hole above the packer or without discharge of circulation fluid. In this manner, it will be readily appreciated that the lowering means 14 can be reciprocat- Yed, rotated, and have' circulation fluid discharged into the well hole while the packer is seated withoutl loosening the packer from its seat and while the sample of well fluid is withdrawn from the well below the packer. This movement of the lowering means together with the circulation effectively prevents any tendency of the lowering means from becoming stuck or freezing in the well hole. When the sample of well fluid has been removed from the well below the packer, the sampling tube 26 may be withdrawn and the tubular lowering means 14 may be lifted. As the tubular lowering means 14 is lifted, the internal shoulder 22 enga-ges with the shoulder 20 upon the spindle 17 and will draw the packer from its scat. Because ot' the fact that the sealing material 16 is not firmly held upon the packer, a sticking of the sealing material does not hinder the withdrawal of the packer, and the sealing material may be readily removed or pulled off of the packer body and left in the well upon removal of the packer.

lIt will be noted that the external diameter of the lowering pipe or lowering means 14 is substantially equal to or greater than the largest external diameter on the tapered packer body 13. Consequently, the lowering pipe 14 prevents the walls' of the well from caving in to a diameter smaller than the packer`l thus always leaving a hole through which the packer can be recovered. As the essence of this invention resides in providing .for the recovery of the apparatus, this is an important feature of the construction. Leaving the sealing material in the well in n0 way interferes with the further drilling operations in the well, and in the above manner it is seen that all of the apparatus may be recovered from the well with the exception of the sealing material if the sealing material becomes stuck. The weight of the sampling pipe 26 upon the packer 13 firmly maintains the packer upon its seat while the lowering tube 14 is being reciprocated or rotated, or both.

From the above it is seen that an improved method for making production tests in oil wells is provided, which consists essentially of lowering a packer into the well by a tubular lowering means which is capable of a limited longitudinal movement with respect to the packer, seating the packer within the well, reciprocating the lowering means while the packer is seated, discharging circulation fluid into the well above the packer during the reciprocation of the lowering means, and removing a sample of well fluid below the packer while the lowering means being reciprocated and circulation fluid is being discharged therefrom.

In some cases where a small drilling crew is employed, it may be impossible to keep up the reciprocation of the lowering means while hailing fluid from below the packer, and it is therefore contemplated within the scope of this invention to lower the packer into the well and seat the sampling tube, then to reciprocate or reciprocate and rotate the lowering pipe until it is fairly certain that the lowering pipe will not become stuck in the' well hole. The reciprocation or movement of the lowering pipe may then be stopped and the drilling crew inay be occupied in hailing the fluid from the well below the packer. When the sample of fluid is obtained, the lowering pipe may be again rotated or reciprocated, or both, and the packer can then be removed by the lowering pipe.

It is to be understood that various changes may be made from the exact mode of operation that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of making production tests in wells which comprises lowering a tube into the well, providing a seal in the well between the tube and the Well wall so as to prevent Huid above the seal from entering the tube below the seal, withdrawing a sample of fluid from below the seal through the tube, preventing the tube from becoming stuck in the well while taking the sample by reciprocating a second tube in the well above the seal about the first tube, and withdrawing 'the tubes from the well after the sample JJhas been taken.

2. The method of making production tests in wells which comprises lowering a tube into lthe well, providing a seal in the well between the tube and the well wall so as to prevent fluid in the well above the seal from entering the tube below the seal, withdrawing asample `of fluid from below the seal through the tube, preventing the tube from becomin stuck on the well while taking the sample y reciprocating and rotatin a second tube in the well above the sea about the first tube, and withdrawing the tubes fromv the well after the sample has been taken. 3. The method of making production tests in wells which com rises lowerignga tube into the well, provi ing a seal between the tube and the well wall so as to prevent fluid above the seal from entering the tube below the seal, withdrawing a sample of fluid from below the seal through the tube, preventing the tube from becoming stuck in the well while taking the sample b reciprocating a second tube 1n the well a ve th'e seal about the first tube, causing fluid to flow through the second tube and about it, and withdrawing Y the tubes from the well after the sample has been taken.

4. The method of making production tests in wells which comprises lowering a tube into the well, providing a seal between the tube and the well wall so as to revent fluid above the seal from entering t e tube below the seal, withdrawing a sample of fluid from below the seal through the tube, preventing the tube from becoming stuck in the well by reciprocating and rotating a second tube in the well above the seal about the first tube, causing fluid to flow through the second tube and about it, and withdrawing the tubes from the well after the-sample has been taken.

5. The method of making production tests in wells which comprises lowering a packer into the well by a lowering tube, seating the packer, lowering a second tube into the well through the lowering tube and causing it to l be connected to the packer so as to form a continuous conduit from below the packer to the surface, withdrawing a sample of fluid from below the packer through the conduit thus formed, preventing the lowering tube from becoming stuck in the well while the sample is being obtained by continuously moving it, and withdrawing the tubes from the well after the sample has been obtained.

6. The method of making production tests in wells comprising, forming an upwardly facing shoulder on a well wall above the bottom of the well, lowering a tube into the well, providing a seal in the well against said shoulder having a passage therethrough below the bottom of said tube, lowering a second tube within the first tube and causing it to cooperate with the seal in forming a conduit from below vthe seal to the surface into which fluid in the well above the seal cannot enter, withdrawing a sample of fluid from below the seal through the conduit thus `formed,prevent' ing the tubes from becoming stuck in the well while obtaining the sam le by causingy circulation fluid to flow throng and about the first tube above the seal, and vwithdrawing the tubes from the well after the sample has been obtained.

7. The method of making production tests in wells comprising lowering a tube into the well, providing aseal in the well having a passagg therethrough below the bottom of said tu lowerin through the rst tube and causing it to cooperate with the seal in forming a conduit a second tube into the well from below the seal to the surface into which Y fluid in the well above the seal cannot enter, withdrawing a sample of fluid from below the seal through the conduit thus formed, preventing the tubes from becoming stuck in the well while obtaining the sample by reciprocating the first tube in the Well above the seal, and withdrawing the tubes from the the seal through the conduit thus formed, preventing the tubes from becoming stuck in the well while the sample is being obtained, by rotating the first tube in the well above the seal and withdrawing the tubes from the well after the sam le has been obtained.

9. The mtliiod of making production tests inv wells comprising forming an upwardly facing shoulder on a well wall above the bottom of the well, lowering a tube into the well, providing a seal in the well against said shoulder having a passage therethrough, lowering a second tube into the well through the first tube and causing it to cooperate with the seal in forming a conduit from below the seal to the surface into whichl fluid in the Well above the seal cannot enter, withdrawing a sample of fluid from below the seal through the conduit thus formed, preventing the tubes from becoming stuck in the well while obtaining the sample by reciprocatin the first tube in the well above the seal, an withdrawing the tubes `from the well after the sample has been obtained.

10. The method of making production tests in wells comprising forming an upwardly facing shoulder on a well wall above the bottom ofthe well, lowering a tube into the well, proa second tube into the well viding a. seal in the well against said` shoulder below the bottom of said tube, having u passage therethrough, lowering a second tube into the well through the first tube and causing it to cooperate Wit-h the seal in forming a conduit from below the seal to the surface into which Huid in the well above the seal cannot enter, withdrawing a sample of fluid from below the seal through the conduit thus r formed, preventing the tubes from becoming 10 In testimony whereof I have signed my 15 'name to this specification.

GEORGE A. MACREADY. 

